Anyone else have issues with their Pentastar?

[Rustynail11]

Damn this sucks. I have had two Jeeps with the 3.6 and ran both of them well over 100K miles and not a single issue with either one of them.

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[MagnusWolf89]

Damn this sucks. I have had two Jeeps with the 3.6 and ran both of them well over 100K miles and not a single issue with either one of them.

Count your blessings then. I have cancer, I live in an old house that is falling apart, and work at a job that kills me. I just wanted a nice jeep just as one thing that's good in my life but I guess everything in my life has to be crap.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Do you (or anyone else) know if the pentastar is one of those engines that was designed around 5w30, but for cafe standards they suggest you run a lighter weight oil? That's how my 2002s civic si was, that's how my 08 f150 is and seems a lot of issues can be avoided just by running 5w30. I have quite a few automotive engineer friends, and they've all told me that the vast majority of engines out there are engineered around 5w30.

The 2nd generation was built exclusively for 0W-20. However, you will have zero issues upping the viscosity a one level (even two). I have a friend back in Texas with over 110K miles and has ran 0W-40 from the first oil change. I have been running 5W-30 in mine for about 40K miles with no issues.

 

[Rubi SoHo]

I’m actually quite satisfied with my Pentastar.

 

[mwilk012]

It sounds like you have a bad engine IMO. It will likely collapse just outside of warranty. Drive it hard and get them to fix it when it breaks.

 

[MagnusWolf89]

It sounds like you have a bad engine IMO. It will likely collapse just outside of warranty. Drive it hard and get them to fix it when it breaks.

I have already pointed out all this to the dealer numerous times,they don't listen. Like I said I sure as hell am not keeping this jeep past it's power train warranty. It would just be nice if bad crap would back off and something good would happen for a change, you know what I mean.

 

[HelmsJeep]

That really sucks. I have not had those issues with mine and I am at 45K at the moment and am running 100% synthetic. I don’t remember how many recurring issues trigger the lemon law, but keep taking it back until you reach the magic number and pay a lawyer $150 or so to send a threatening letter. If you can’t get relief under the lemon laws or from the dealer, and you can’t afford the trade-in hit (been there) you could try something I do when my vehicles in the past have made noises I could not resolve. Turn up Led Zeppelin and keep driving. if It doesn’t straighten up on its own and it’s really serious, the engine likely won’t last through the factory warranty period and it will get replaced at the dealers expense.

 

[JamesWyatt]

Complaining about the sound for a few minutes after startup? I must be old, because I’m just happy my engine starts and stays started.

 

[entropy]

Mine runs perfectly and I hate it. It struggles on even the most basic hills in town, and gets middling fuel economy at best. It's the epitome of a tool that exactly what it needs to, and not an ounce more.

Is it a manual? What size tire are you running? Whats your differential gear ratio.

Hills? Florida? Something about this post doesnt add up.

 

[Spartan99]

Why doesn’t it have an anti drain valve? Seems like an anti drain valve would be one of the most important parts of an engine. Anyone know what the 3.6 doesn’t need one? I have installed filters with failing valves and man you can really hear those dry parts move until they get their lube.

 

[MagnusWolf89]

Complaining about the sound for a few minutes after startup? I must be old, because I’m just happy my engine starts and stays started.

Well a brand new engine in a $40,000 vehicle should fire up and pur like a kitten, not knock like a jehovah witness.

 

[AFD]

Really don't mind the occasional noise/chatter at startup, but sometimes after a trip home from work, it'll start sounding like a diesel and have some vibration transferred into the cabin more than usual (my car's noisy turbo 2.0 is a smoother running engine, imo).

Overall lack of refinement aside, I really don't hate the engine, but I'm always wishing it had a bit more power and balls behind it, at least lower down in the RPM band. Really think if the new 3.0L i6 S.O. ever makes it to the 2-door JL/JM, the 350 to 400HP/TQ would be a much better match for the weight of the vehicle. Never understood why they thought it was a good idea to stick an underpowered made in Mexico minivan engine in an enthusiast off-roader.

 

[MagnusWolf89]

Really don't mind the occasional noise/chatter at startup, but sometimes after a trip home from work, it'll start sounding like a diesel and have some vibration transferred into the cabin more than usual (my car's noisy turbo 2.0 is a smoother running engine, imo).

Overall lack of refinement aside, I really don't hate the engine, but I'm always wishing it had a bit more power and balls behind it, at least lower down in the RPM band. Really think if the new 3.0L i6 S.O. ever makes it to the 2-door JL/JM, the 350 to 400HP/TQ would be a much better match for the weight of the vehicle. Never understood why they thought it was a good idea to stick an underpowered made in Mexico minivan engine in an enthusiast off-roader.

Exactly, they should put in a USA made pentastar built by trained assembly people that get paid decent. Not some guy making 5 pesos an hour with no training just slapping an engine together. The only two countries that should be building something as complex and sensitive as an engine are the United States and Japan.

 

[Carlton]

I've always been a fan of it. It is a time proven engine. I did receive one (out of many) with a defect. There was flashing blocking airflow which made the engine struggle, and tranny refuse to shift.

However, I decided to give the 4 banger turbo a try, and I have to say, it puts the Pentastar to shame. Much quicker, smoother acceleration, don't feel the gears shifting like with the Pentastar, and rides much nicer. My only complaint is that it sounds like Mario Cart at low speeds, which can actually be a bit fun ?

 

[Opus]

Count your blessings then. I have cancer, I live in an old house that is falling apart, and work at a job that kills me. I just wanted a nice jeep just as one thing that's good in my life but I guess everything in my life has to be crap.

Would somebody who has used "Made in Mexico" as a pejorative on this thread be kind enough to post some actual statistics to make the case that the quality of the engines made there is somehow worse than the quality of the engines made in the U.S. or elsewhere?

https://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2015/04/which-cars-are-made-in-mexico.html

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